The senior closer has been sidelined with a muscle strain since April 5, but he took the mound Friday in a tight one against Utah in front of 2,267 at Turchin Stadium, and did what an anchor does — held. Tulane won 7-6 despite giving up the lead in the seventh inning.

Before Pepitone’s appearance, the bullpen — overworked and thin after a heap of injuries — almost cost the Green Wave (23-16) the game.

“Our lack of pitching depth just showed itself there. We couldn’t protect the lead,” Tulane Coach Rick Jones said. “It’s a feeling that you don’t feel good about because you know you don’t have the depth down there, and you are wearing the guys that you do have out there.”

Pepitone was ready, even running out balls to the umpire during the game to keep busy before the ninth.

“In four years I haven’t had to miss a game because of injury,” Pepitone said. “So the last two and half weeks have been kind of weird for me. I’ve been stir-crazy in the dugout. And so finally being able to see my name on the lineup card first of all, I got some butterflies in my stomach, and once (pitching) Coach (Chad) Sutter told me that if it was tied or we were ahead, I was going in in the ninth, then adrenaline took over. The rest of the time I was just out there having fun, doing what I do.”

Pepitone struck out James Brooks, then allowed two hits and intentionally walked the next to load the bases before getting the game-ending double play.

“I was joking with the guys after the game, you know I’m back because at least I made it interesting,” Pepitone said. “It’s just one of those things. I don’t try to do it, but I have a lot of experience in those type of situations. I’m a ground ball pitcher and I’ve got to trust my stuff. We have a great defense and I trust that they are going to make the play when I need them to.”

Garrett Cannizaro gloved Austin Shackelford’s grounder, flipped to Brennan Middleton at second. Middleton tagged and made the throw to Matt Ryan at first base.

“Words can’t describe it,” Pepitone said. “All I’ve been through in the past two and a half weeks went out the window, and it’s just back to baseball.”

Pepitone was put in position for his 10th save of the season by a hitter who has struggled the past five games. Nick Boullosa hit .095 during that stretch (2-of-21) and made an adjustment in his hand placement on the bat.

He didn’t start Friday, but he got an opportunity in the bottom of the eighth when he came to bat with two on and one out. The score was tied at 6 before Boullosa muscled a bouncer down the first base line. Utah’s C.J. Cron put his glove down to catch it, but the ball dipped beneath and raced down the right field line. Woodson scored from second base on the play to give Tulane the 7-6 edge.

“He threw me a slider, which is a good pitch to hit, and I thought I barreled it pretty good — I knew the first baseman was going to have a chance to get the ball, but we were fortunate enough for it to go underneath his glove and get the winning run in there,” Boullosa said. “We’ll take it any way we can get it.”